Professional Reference articles are designed for health professionals to use. You may find the Sepsis Septicaemia article more useful, or one of our other health articles. Acute respiratory distress syndrome ARDS is a common and devastating condition which can affect all adult patients - eg, medical, surgical and obstetric patients. It occurs when non-cardiogenic pulmonary oedema secondary to acute damage to the alveoli leads to acute respiratory failure. More recently, a conference of experts in Berlin developed a new definition see Diagnostic criteria, below [ 2 ].

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome



Acute respiratory distress syndrome: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia
ARDS is a serious condition with respiratory failure that usually requires hospitalization and intensive care. It can be brought on by various problems with the lungs or numerous other medical conditions. Patients that survive will usually recover without suffer permanent lung damage or disability, though both are possible complications. Breathing difficulty Cyanosis Tachypnoea rapid breathing Rapid pulse tachycardia Pulmonary edema more symptoms Read more about treatments for Adult respiratory distress syndrome. Read more about Deaths and Adult respiratory distress syndrome. Adult respiratory distress syndrome: Complications Review possible medical complications related to Adult respiratory distress syndrome: Pulmonary edema Lack of surfactant see Lung symptoms Death Secondary infections type of Opportunistic infections Pneumothorax - from mechanical ventilation Permanent lung damage see Lung symptoms more complications


Infant respiratory distress syndrome
Acute respiratory distress syndrome ARDS is the presence of pulmonary edema in the absence of volume overload or depressed left ventricular function and is characterized by the development of sudden breathlessness within hours to days of an inciting event. ARDS is not a specific disease; instead, it is a type of severe, acute lung dysfunction that is associated with a variety of diseases and trauma. In the past, ARDS signified adult respiratory distress syndrome to separate this from infant respiratory distress syndrome seen in premature infants.



Related to adult respiratory distress syndrome: acute renal failure , bronchiectasis , emphysema , pneumothorax , sepsis , pulmonary edema , Acute Respiratory Failure , disseminated intravascular coagulation. Ards a district of Northern Ireland, in Co. Area: sq. Mentioned in?